When you have star power like Oprah Winfrey, it doesn’t matter who you are…you’re just lucky to even be in the woman’s prescience. And last night, the famous, the legends, the best of the best, along with 13,000 fans, turned out to honor Oprah in her “Farewell Spectacular”.
The taping, which was complete in the hands of Oprah’s producers, and a complete surprise to Oprah herself, started off in the hands of Tom Hanks, who opened the show with class, saying,
“Now Oprah, I know you don’t like surprises…Let me see if I can put you at ease. There was an English playwright who said there’s no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved, and that is what tonight is all about.”
From there, Tom Cruise came up on stage, showing a montage of the 12 times he had been on the show, starting back in 1988. Then, it was Madonna’s turn. Then, Diane Sawyer, dressed as a lit-up tree, announced that 25,000 oak trees would be planted in Winfrey’s honor. Oprah pointed into the audience shouting, “I just gave everybody a tree! You get a tree and you get a tree and you get a tree. Everybody gets a tree!.”
Beyonce, Rascal Flatts, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, Jamie Foxx and Stevie Wonder all performed. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith hosted the second hour, and the celebrities just kept coming…Jerry Seinfeld, Maria Shriver, Michael Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth, Maya Angelou. Even Winfrey’s longtime boyfriend, Stedman Graham, took the stage, honoring his longtime love:
“Honey, you are so special, and I am so happy … I’m so proud of you”
With tears running down her cheeks most of the night, Winfrey ended the show turning to the crowd, and thanking them:
“I feel the love! And I thank you for it. Thank you for being a part of this great night, this celebration for what you have done for the Oprah Winfrey show … your being here tonight … honors me in the deepest way possible.”
And then, to top it all off, Usher took the stage to sing a symphony-backed mashup of ‘O.M.G.’ and ‘Oh Happy Day’ mashup before bursting confetti canons blanketed the entire arena.
Definitely a legendary night worthy of a legend.
The live taping will air as a two-part series on May 23 and May 24 before Winfrey’s finale show on May 25.